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Call of the Wild Relevant TodayYukon Survival--Not for Children, or the Sqeamish, or Faint of Heart
Celebrated adventurer, Jack London, vividly tells the brutal story of Buck. Betrayed by the gardener's helper, Buck is sold into slavery as a sled dog, Yukon, Alaska.
A gentleman's dog, Buck was content with his life at Judge Miller's (California), but it was not to last. Gold fever lured prospectors to the frozen, harsh regions of Alaska's Yukon during the late 1800's, early 1900's. Buck's Tale--First ImpressionStrong, hardy sled dogs were in demand. They carried the gold-lusting prospectors across the frequently cruel conditions of the Alaskan wilderness. Manuel, the gardener's helper, seized an opportunity to make some money for himself. He sold Buck, and the saga began. At the most basic level, Buck's tale is an adventure story, but it rises to more intense, critical levels. A Revelation of Animal CrueltyUsing vivid, often graphic imagery, the ...toil of the harness and the trail..., elevates cruelty to animals to an intense level. Dogs were taught obedience through starvation, whippings and clubbings: ...A dozen times he charged, and as often the club broke the charge and smashed him down.... Sled dogs were expendable flesh--property to be used and disposed of as needed, subjects to the whim of the current owner(s) and surrounding conditions. Not only a vivd statement of humanity's ability to abuse and torture, but also a metaphorical statement of how humanity tranforms into cruelty through the need to survive--dog against dog. Redemption StoryWorn out physically, and mentally, Buck accepted the blows of the club and resiged himself to the demise he had witnessed numerous times crossing the frigid countryside. Fortunately, a savior appeared before his life spark extinguished. For the first time Buck experienced the true, healing love of mankind. A Story of ChoicesThough Buck does not speak directly through the story, the reader is well aware of his thoughts and reasonings. In all situations, Buck had choices within the best and worst of circumstances. Though enslaved to the harness and victim to the whip and club, Buck exercised what free will he had to survive. Link Between Buck and Jack LondonLondon was well acquainted with the sufferings of humanity. A world-wide traveler, London translated to his writings ferocity based upon the pain he witnessed/experienced in humanity and animals. As a tramp, hobo and adventurer, London endured hunger and the deprivation of commodities for human survival. Living within the slums of England, London became acutely aware of the cyclical chains of poverty, which, like the dogs' harnesses, were excruciatingly difficult to break out of. For the sled dogs, too often freedom from the harness was acheived through death, and only through death humanity found freedom from poverty and deprivation. This is a timeless classic of American literature not to be mistaken for just an intense adventure/dog story or childrens' story. The vivid imagery alone, unless severely edited, could be too upsetting for children. The themes, symbols, and history relevant for the early 20th century, are still relevant today. This novel should not be collecting dust. SourceJack London, The Call of the Wild/White Fang, Bantan Books, New York, Toronto, London, Sydney, Auckland, 1963, pgs. 19-101
The copyright of the article Call of the Wild Relevant Today in Classic American Fiction is owned by Jeannie Delahunt. Permission to republish Call of the Wild Relevant Today in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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